We're not using the right side of our brains! (enough)

Before I write anything, I feel it wise to state i'm only 17.
I like to feel as if i'm talking on behalf of my teens, but I don't know for sure..
No, I don't have a piece of paper stating i'm intelligent - I don't even wear shoes.
I'm not a psychologist or a neuroscientist; but I'd rather read, write or run then talk to other humans, being young I don't think I've quiet had the opportunity to 'find my kind' yet.
As I've grown up, I've watched my teenage contemporaries chase desires that some greedy intellectual has created.
I've watched them direct their emotional insecurities into a facaded product of media.
I've watched insidious piles of information and influence uncontrollably seep into their consciousness, deprecating their talents, passions and potential.
I observe.. quietly yet torturously as my fellow teens live; completely oblivious to the world that narrows their perception, and kills their ambition, subtly encourages apathy and evilly feeds off their ignorance.
This 'new world' hasn't been around for long right?
No one has taught us. No one IS teaching us, to be aware, to know of it.
WE NEED TO BE TAUGHT OF IT'S IMPLICATIONS.
We are being drowned in information and starved for knowledge.
What hurts the most, is that it's found upon, and nurtures ego and greed.
I feel as if the months of pain and self education has lead to such a simple conclusion.
We're bought up in a world that predominantly focuses on the development of the left brain right?
I think we need to begin raising awareness to this influence, nurturing a protective psychological construct to barrier this bombardment of 'junk information' subtly yet evidently manipulating our consciousness.
I believe through my own lively experience, and the many books I have read that we need to start nurturing the development of our left and right brains EVENLY.

We need coalescence of reductionism, and holism.
I feel this is the answer.. (r)evolution.

Oct 26 2012:
I have found that humans do not know who and what they are. We are taught, from an early age, to look outwards to gather information. By having this imposed upon us, most never learn that if they look inwards, there is much information to be garnered, and it is that inner-based information that is able to provide the most satisfaction.

For example: I have discovered that when I have a strong emotion, I am maintaining an irrational or invalid belief. What does this mean? Say that I am angry at you. As explained in the first video, if all of my information comes from what I see you doing, as filtered through the left hemisphere, my anger seems very rational. But when I put myself in a peaceful and unemotional place, I can also see the belief that causes me to emote as I do.

The belief will "appear" rational, but when I am in that peaceful, non-judgmental place, I can see that what I perceive is a mirror image of what I believe. As I cleaned out my belief system using this method, I found that my most prevalent erroneous beliefs were: "I am vulnerable", "It is your responsibility to make me happy", and "who and what I am is encased in a body".

As I paid more attention to my internal processes (something that is never taught in schools), I discover that I was doing a lot of thinking, emoting, and feeling without even being aware of it. As I learned how to be disciplined in what I was thinking and emoting, I was able to see how my thoughts and emotions were causing me to behave in ways that did not serve me well. I was also able to see how my "feelings" are a universal language, and they have much wisdom to share with me - IF I PAY ATTENTION TO THEM.

We are told that we live in a mechanical reality. I see reality as being more organic (holistic) in nature. Some people, like you, are wise enough to recognize this.

That clip is seriously jaw-dropping. That's everything needed to be said, thanks so much for sharing this! Will definitely watch it a few more times to really assimilate it!
It's strange - the 'geniuses' seem to know of this brain bias, do you believe it will be kept esoteric?
Or will it be shared - on a relatively big scale?
P.S i love your about me.

Nov 25 2012:
Hi Dejay!
I LOVE to observe your explorations, and I agree that using the brain effectively, is about balance. It is interesting to me, that I was considered right brain dominant (more creative than logical) for the first part of my life, and after the brain was re-arranged with a near fatal injury, it seems to be more balanced...I love it!

Nov 1 2012:
Hi, Dejay !
You are so right ! All of us who currently inhabit the planet were born into the world " where we honour the servant and forget about the gift " People nowadays are talking a lot about how to save the planet and what you've suggested is the way. We should save ourselves from arrogance and foolishness, which is the result of dis balance between right and left parts of our brain. For centuries we have been investing heavily into our rational mind and became control freaks, erroneously we think that we are above nature and can control and use it. We are not two with nature we are one and somehow the right hemisphere has access to our bigger better true self. The right side of our brain should be nourished; some call it paradigm shift, some archaic revival, but it's all about the same ,i guess, we need to restore the balance. Frankly, i don't know how to use the right side of my brain , it seems to me that it uses me and i don't mind :)

Nov 1 2012:
Don't fret my freind. Call up Ms. Botte's talk on transcendance and the right brain. As for the darkness in your thoughts: d'you want a real if undocumented education? Get onthe net and start searching. Sooner or later you'll come across something that grabs your interest. Follow that lead. And then again. Eventually you'll find something that will allow you to use your talents in a life fulling way.

Oct 28 2012:
Personally, I think we use the right side of our brains too much, and our left brains too little. I think much of what we are doing today is illogical, but in the short term, emotionally satisfying.

Nov 1 2012:
Too many reasons to explain, and few will win me any friends... but I'll try...

Psychology, has all but been replaced by psychiatry. We would rather tell our children that if they are unhappy, it can be fixed with a pill, then tell them that life is a constant struggle to find meaning and happiness.

Our schools no longer focus on testing, objective differences, and competition... They focus on team building, working together, creativity, and building self esteem... Then when children fail the tests, people yell "Do you want us teaching to the test?"... If you mean would I like a teacher to be able to prove objectively that their students recieved vital facts? Yes, that would be nice.

On the left and right of the political spectrum, it's all emotions... No numbers... people don't care about facts anymore, they are virtually inconsequential, but the other guy is evil.

On the issue of the drug war. On one side it's "They want your children to have legal access to narcotics".... On the other side it's "The drug war is racist, and the only people who support it are private prisons"... It's all emotional bs, no rational discourse.

On the issue of real war you're either for the troops, or with the terrorists... on one side. On the other side, you're either for the troops, or with the religious zealots...

Almost everything that exists in our society today is an appeal to emotion rather than rational. It's all advertising. But, hey, maybe it's just me who sees it that way.

Oct 27 2012:
Dejay, thanks for sharing this wonderful idea!
I agree with you about encouraging the development of the right and left brains evenly.
Many aspects of life, primarily school and jobs require the use of the left brain. I believe we still use our right brain to compensate through hobbies / interests. I am unsure if it results in equal development.
I do not understand the idea of coalescence of reductionism and holism. I feel reductionism predominates in this world and we need more holism.

Oct 30 2012:
I think the thing with school is, kids are repetitively encouraged to learn information from the age of 5 whether or not it fits into our passions of talents. If we don't - we are penalized on many different levels. I think this forced left brain development discourages kids off learning, it creates a negative perspective towards new information.
In turn I believe it could hinder both hemispheres.

You're right, it does. Maybe we need more holism than reductionism, but the first step is having an even amount. Balance.
Reductionism - Holism
Left brain - Right brain!

Oct 27 2012:
However, Napoleon was a pawn used to put in place the world bank, he may be notable but the end result of his rule is certainly in question...and he was set up to fail so there would be no argument to who controlled her (the bank)...as society is a well planned set of events all the chaos is ignored in its planning and that is why answers are no where to be found...it allows the plan to continue...it fears the challenge for acceptance...

Being dominant is not a bad thing but when not anchored to respect it becomes a beast (and we have all heard that word before used in description which in translation was deflected onto an invisible entity just like the god they promote) and that is our origin and our continuance and now the new youth appear and ponder why we cry as we all have, some accept and begin to deny the need for change others simply continue to ask why, some more flamboyant than most...

And it will be interesting what a connected global voice will do...I believe all is possible if we first understand what we actually are as a species and what our purpose was created to accomplish before we can address the answer...

Oct 27 2012:
Do you want to know why this is, this lob sided affair we call existence. The male population which has always been in control is actually weak with fear that has been with us since birth. This weakness was countered with anger, the anger became denial and the weakness protected it with excuse. So now you have a species who can not assume weakness so it denies half of it self (the emotional side). In a system where we are made up of 50% female and 50% male, the male leader denies the female side in him for fear of its appearance...boys don't cry and so on...then the world they produce with these guide lines pull the woman to a more male version of the half and half. This is why we only use one side of our brain, it is the male dominated side we were raised to focus on...this is also the soul reason woman end up stronger than the boys, they are naturally more feminine but lead by the other so they become more balanced...so you want to use the other side...good luck, it would be better to dream a good sleep...

Oh by the way, life is a deja vue, everything you are challenging yourself with right now, a child thousands of years ago and all through history have done the same thing with the same results...maybe you can change things...

Oct 27 2012:
I've pondered this before, and I agree to a point!
Men are definitely far too dominant, look at some religions/cultures, it's so blisteringly blatant that the rules are founded upon men's social/emotional insecurities; and politics is mostly men, and i'm sure most women are more empathetic. I've also read many times women have naturally better communication through their Corpus Callosum.

The thing is, it may be deja vu, but now we have globalization, we have technology and mass media.
Our voice has the ability to be amplified to such an astounding degree; with enough passion & persistence anything is possible.

Oct 26 2012:
DJ, In many of my posts I state that it is very important to know who you are. Once this occurs you can resolve many conflicts both internal and external.

The right side of the brain is more intersted with the arts and things philosophical. While I agree with you that the right side is not employed enough .. I also see a big problem looming in our immediate future. During the last PISA Exam the United States came in on the lower third of the lower third and caused the administration great embassement. So with a bruised national ego the Secretary of Education decalred that Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) would be the basis of all education. Due to funding schools have to eleminate some classes in order to put others in place. Our state now requires four years of Math, science, and english to graduate. On the bubble to cut if funding is not available is 1) Music, 2) Art, 3) all shops, 4) home ec, etc ... get the picture? By national decree of the President and his staff the Arts and right brain activities are declared not important.

Does that mean that they will fad away .. I don't think so but to have a government declare them unimportant could seriously hamper funding for the performing arts and deminish young talent from developing.

Would restricting right brain activities classify us as entering another "Dark Age".

I look forward to your next conversation and conversing with you again.

Oct 27 2012:
Wow, that's definitely conjured up mixed feelings.
This is only my opinion here, but I think there is a deeper yet externally ubiquitous significance of a developed right hemisphere. The ability to 'see the whole' or observe and live with a more empathetic, understanding perspective is evidently needed in this world.
I've grown up in this new world of 'junk information' and a prevalent bombardment of commercialism, it's so easy to see the influence it has on teens. I could ramble on about this for ages but I could very confidently posit that I do think the significance of an unbiased brain is very underestimated!
The Secretary of Education should become familiar with Einstein's: "A problem canont be fixed with the same level of consciousness that created it."

Maybe another 'Dark Age' is imminent but I do believe that creative minorities such as TED may help save us from our own demise.
My only approach at the moment is to push action towards creating awareness to not only the influence, but the implications; other than that i'm stuck! (for teens)

Oct 26 2012:
Good thoughts.....
I don't know the answer but my feeling is in all ages whether it is the present time of information super highway or ancient time with scarce information....referred "WE" were /are there en mass...open , aware , educated people were rare breed always. With lots of schools , unversities around us we are full of certified people with flowery degrees...how many of them are educated really ?

Sometime ago my son when he was 5 , I showed him how to google ....so that he can get the answers to his questions when no is around to answer him. After sometime he asked "does Google say truth always?"
Right that moment understood what challenge now one can face with loads of junk information.